Seat rail

ABSTRACT

A seat mounting system for an electric vehicle including a longitudinal support beam coupled with a chassis of the vehicle, a front cross beam extending from a right side of a passenger compartment of the vehicle to a left side of the passenger compartment, and a rear cross beam extending from the right side to the left side. A connector is disposed between the longitudinal support beam and both cross beams. The connector couples the longitudinal support beam with both cross beams. At least one seat rail is mounted to the connector and extends across the front cross beam and the rear cross beam. The seat rail is mounted to the connector such that a forward portion of the at least one seat rail extends higher than a rear portion of the at least one seat rail. The seat rail mounts a seat within the passenger compartment.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/384,298, filed Sep. 7, 2016, the entire contents ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are many problems unique to electric vehicles, oftentimes due tothe presence of large and/or numerous batteries used to power theelectric motor and other components of the vehicle. These batteries areoften bulky, and add significant weight to the vehicles. Theseconsiderations present challenges in designing a particularly efficientand practical electrical vehicle. Additionally, these batteries may beparticularly susceptible to damage during a collision. Damage to abattery may be especially dangerous by presenting a fire and/orcorrosive hazard. As such, protecting the batteries from damage remainsa difficult challenge unique to the field of electric vehicles.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, a seat mounting system for an electric vehicle isprovided. The seat mounting system may include a longitudinal supportbeam coupled with a chassis of the electric vehicle, a front cross beamextending from a right side of a passenger compartment of the electricvehicle to a left side of the passenger compartment, and a rear crossbeam extending from the right side to the left side. The seat mountingsystem may also include a connector disposed between the longitudinalsupport beam and both the front cross beam and the rear cross beam. Theconnector may be configured to couple the longitudinal support beam withboth the front cross beam and the rear cross beam. The seat mountingsystem may also include at least one seat rail mounted to the connector.The at least one seat rail may extend across the front cross beam andthe rear cross beam. The at least one seat rail may be mounted to theconnector such that a forward portion of the at least one seat railextends higher than a rear portion of the at least one seat rail. The atleast one seat rail may be configured for mounting a seat within thepassenger compartment.

In another aspect, a seat mounting system for an electric vehicle mayinclude a longitudinal support beam coupled with a chassis of theelectric vehicle, a front cross beam extending from a right side of apassenger compartment of the electric vehicle to a left side of thepassenger compartment, and a rear cross beam extending from the rightside to the left side. The seat mounting system may also include aconnector disposed between the longitudinal support beam and both thefront cross beam and the rear cross beam. The connector may beconfigured to couple the longitudinal support beam with both the frontcross beam and the rear cross beam. The connector may include a firstportion configured to receive an end of the front cross beam, a secondportion configured to receive an end of the rear cross beam, and a thirdportion configured to engage with a medial portion of the longitudinalsupport beam. The third portion may include an elevated sectionconfigured to raise a height of the connector at a position above thefront cross beam to a level higher than at a position above the rearcross beam. The seat mounting system may further include at least oneseat rail extending across the front cross beam and the rear cross beam.The at least one seat rail may be mounted to the first portion and tothe elevated section of the third portion of the connector such that aforward portion of the at least one seat rail positioned above the frontcross beam extends higher than a rear portion of the at least one seatrail positioned above the rear cross beam. The at least one seat railmay be configured for mounting a seat within the passenger compartment.

In another aspect, a method for mounting a seat rail of an electricvehicle is provided. The method may include positioning a front crossbeam at a base of a passenger compartment of an electric vehicle suchthat the front cross beam extends from a left side of the passengercompartment to a right side of a passenger compartment. The method mayalso include positioning a rear cross beam at the base such that therear cross beam extends from the left side to the right side andsecuring an end of the front cross member within a first portion of aconnector and an end of the rear cross member within a second portion ofthe connector. The method may further include positioning a medialportion of a longitudinal support beam against a third portion of theconnector, securing the third portion of the connector to the medialportion of the longitudinal support beam, and securing a seat rail to atop of the connector such that a forward portion of the seat railextends higher than a rear portion of the seat rail.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A further understanding of the nature and advantages of variousembodiments may be realized by reference to the following figures. Inthe appended figures, similar components or features may have the samereference label. Further, various components of the same type may bedistinguished by following the reference label by a dash and a secondlabel that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the firstreference label is used in the specification, the description isapplicable to any one of the similar components having the same firstreference label irrespective of the second reference label.

FIG. 1 depicts an electric vehicle according to embodiments.

FIG. 2 depicts a mounting system for an electric vehicle according toembodiments.

FIG. 3 depicts a cross-section view of a tunnel of an electric vehicleaccording to embodiments.

FIG. 4 depicts a seat mounting system of an electric vehicle accordingto embodiments.

FIG. 5 depicts central cross beams for an electric vehicle according toembodiments.

FIG. 6 depicts a seat mounting system for an electric vehicle accordingto embodiments.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart depicting a method for mounting a seat within anelectric vehicle according to embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The subject matter of embodiments of the present invention is describedhere with specificity to meet statutory requirements, but thisdescription is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of theclaims. The claimed subject matter may be embodied in other ways, mayinclude different elements or steps, and may be used in conjunction withother existing or future technologies. This description should not beinterpreted as implying any particular order or arrangement among orbetween various steps or elements except when the order of individualsteps or arrangement of elements is explicitly described.

The systems and methods described herein relate generally toimprovements for electric vehicles. Due to the size and weightconsiderations of the batteries required to power such vehicles, as wellas the need to make electric vehicles as safe as possible, eachcomponent within the electric vehicles must be designed with particularcharacteristics in mind. Specifically, considerations related to theweight and structural integrity of each component must be weighed toensure that the electric vehicles are both efficient and safe tooperate. For example, the body of the vehicle must be stiff, efficient,and lightweight. A lightweight body helps counteract the additionalweight of the batteries, which may be in the form of several largebatteries, or numerous (sometimes thousands) of smaller batteries wiredtogether. The stiff body helps make the vehicle more stable duringcornering and also helps limit damage to the body and batteries during acollision. Protection of the batteries during a collision is particularimportant, as the large number of batteries pose a significant firehazard and may also expose passengers and others to highly corrosivematerial. Due to this high safety risk, it is imperative that the bodystructure be designed to withstand high force collisions from anydirection.

Turning now to FIG. 1, one embodiment of an electric vehicle 100 isshown. While shown here as an electric automobile, electric vehicle 100may be any motorized vehicle that is powered by electricity. Forexample, electric vehicle 100 may include vehicles such as cars, buses,trains, trucks, trams, watercraft, aircraft, and/or any other type oftransportation mechanism.

Here, much of the main body 102 of the electric vehicle 100, especiallythose components designed to form the skeleton of the vehicle and thosecomponents used for collision protection, are made of aluminum or alloyscontaining aluminum, although it will be appreciated that othermaterials may be considered. Aluminum alloys provide strong, yetlightweight components that help shed weight to compensate for the highweight of the batteries necessary to power the electric vehicle. Forelectric vehicles, an increased emphasis is placed on protection of thebatteries as damage to battery cells can cause explosion and fireswithin the vehicle. Such problems are compounded due to the large amountof space batteries must occupy within electric vehicles in order tomaintain practical driving ranges. Therefore, vehicle alterations thatprovide increased protection along edges and corners of the vehiclebattery are advantageous. Such alterations may include considerationsrelated to, but not limited to providing: (1) increased rigidity of thevehicle, (2) increased absorption of energy from a collision, and (3)increased efficiency of transfer of energy/force stemming from an impactto the vehicle's body to lessen the potential impact applied to thevehicle battery and to passengers in the vehicle.

Battery elements 104 are positioned underneath a floor structure 106 ofthe electric vehicle 100. Such positioning provides several benefits.First, the battery elements are isolated from the passenger compartment,largely by an aluminum (or other metallic material) floor structure 106,which helps increase passenger safety. The placement of the batteryelements 104 underneath the vehicle 100 also allows the battery elements104 to be connected to electrical systems of the vehicle 100 fromunderneath the floor structure 106. This enables the battery elements104 to be changed out from the exterior of the vehicle 100. For example,the vehicle 100 may be raised up and the battery elements 104 may bedecoupled from the underside of the vehicle 100. As just one example, anumber of bolts or other fasteners may be removed and the batteryelements 104 may be lowered from the vehicle 100. The battery elements104 may be disconnected and new battery elements 104 may be connectedand fastened to the underside of the vehicle 100. This allows oldbatteries to be replaced easily, and also enables a quick swap ofdepleted battery elements 104 for charged battery elements 104, servingas a method of rapidly charging the vehicle 100 for longer trips. Theplacement of the battery elements 104 also places much of the weight ofthe vehicle 100 near the ground, thus lowering the center of gravity ofthe vehicle 100 and allowing the vehicle 100 to corner better andreduces the odds of a rollover.

Unlike automobiles that utilize internal combustion engines and includedrivetrains that extend along a length of the vehicle, electric vehicle100 is driven by one or more electric motors positioned near the wheelaxles. As a result, there is no need for a longitudinal drive train. Tohelp isolate a passenger compartment 108 from the battery elements 104while providing access for connections of the battery elements 104 to beconnected to electric systems within the passenger compartment 108 andto the one or more electric motors, the passenger compartment may beprovided with a rigid tunnel 110 protruding upward from a floorstructure 106 of the passenger compartment 108. However, unlike inconventional gas-powered vehicles where a tunnel may be provided toprovide clearance for a drivetrain, rigid tunnel 110 is included toprovide clearance for a portion of the battery elements 104 used tosupply power to the electric vehicle 100. The rigid tunnel 110 may notonly provide a housing for a portion of the battery assembly, but mayserve a number of other functions. As just one example, the rigid tunnel110 may help absorb and transfer force away from passengers in the eventof a collision. In such embodiments, the rigid tunnel 110 may be formedof carbon fiber or another composite material that is extremely strongand lightweight. In other embodiments, the rigid tunnel 110 may serve aspart of an air ventilation system, with hot or cold air being vented tothe passenger compartment 108 through a portion of the rigid tunnel 110.

In some embodiments, a firewall 112 of the may be coupled with the rigidtunnel 110, which may extend rearward from the firewall 112 to one ormore central cross beams 132 as shown in FIG. 2. For example, a frontedge of the rigid tunnel 110 may be coupled with a medial portion of theangled portion 122 and a medial portion of the front cross beam 114. Thefront edge of the rigid tunnel 110 may be open, such that access to themotor compartment may be provided underneath the rigid tunnel 110. Arear portion of the rigid tunnel 110 may be coupled with the centralcross beams 132. For example, a forward most of the central cross beams132 may be coupled with an underside of the rigid tunnel 110, such aswithin a notch in the rigid tunnel 110 that is configured to receive theforward most central cross beam 132. The rearmost central cross beam 132may be configured to couple with and/or near a rear edge of the rigidtunnel 110. The central cross beams 132 may extend laterally across awidth of the passenger compartment 108. In some embodiments, a topsurface of one or more of the central cross beams 132 may be configuredto be used as mounting points for the front seats. For example, the topsurface of one of more of the central cross beams 132 may defineapertures that are configured to receive bolts and/or other fasteningmechanisms for coupling seat rails 164 and/or other seat mounts to thecentral cross member(s) 132. In some embodiments, seat brackets may bemounted to one or more of the central cross beams 132. These bracketsmay then receive seat rails 164 with which seats may be mounted.Oftentimes, each seat will be mounted to two seat rails 164, although itwill be appreciated that other numbers of rails 164 may be used.

In some embodiments, the central cross beams 132 (as well as othersupport members secured to the floor structure 106, as well as the floorstructure 106 itself) may be configured to have the battery assembly 104mounted thereon. For example, a lower surface of one or more of thecentral cross beams 132 may be configured to receive one or moreremovable fastening mechanisms, such as bolts, that are used to securethe battery assembly 104 to an underside of the floor structure 106. Asjust one example, the central cross beams 132 may be positioned atop thefloor structure 106, with the battery element 104 positioned against anunderside of the floor structure 106 (possibly with one or moreintervening layers and/or components between the battery element 104 andthe floor structure. One or more bolts may extend from an underside ofthe battery element 104, through the floor structure 106, and into aninterior of one or more of the central cross beams 132. The bolts orother fasteners may be positioned through apertures in the batteryelement 104 and/or a flange of the battery element 104. The centralcross beams 132 provide strong mounting locations for the batteryelement 104, allowing the battery element 104 to be larger and providethe vehicle 100 with a longer range.

The central cross beams 132 may also serve to strengthen the sides ofthe passenger compartment 108 and to protect the passenger compartment108 in the event of an impact. The front cross beam 114 (and rest offirewall 112) may be configured to transfer force from a frontalcollision from the front crash beams 128 and 130 to the one or morecentral cross beams 132 via the rigid tunnel 110. Additionally oralternatively, the front cross beam 114 (and rest of firewall 112) mayalso be configured to transfer force from a frontal collision from thefront crash beams 128 and 130 to the left longitudinal support beam 124and the right longitudinal support beam 126.

Battery assembly 104 may be configured to mount with an underside of thefloor structure 106. The battery assembly 104 may include at least onebattery 162, but often includes a large number of batteries ranging fromdozens to thousands, depending on the size of each of the batteries. Insome embodiments, the battery 162 includes a number of battery unitsarranged in two tiers as best seen in FIG. 3. For example, a first tiermay extend underneath all or part of the passenger compartment 108,while a second tier may be stacked upon a portion of the first tier suchthat it extends upward at a position rearward of the passengercompartment 108. In some embodiments, the upper tier of the batteryassembly 104 may be positioned rearward of a rear cross beam 204. Rearcross beam 204 may extend across a width of the passenger compartment108. The rear cross beam 204 may be configured to receive one or morefasteners configured to secure the battery assembly 104 to the undersideof the vehicle 100. In some embodiments, the rear cross beam 204 mayalso be used to mount one or more rear seats within the passengercompartment 108.

The battery assembly 104 may also include a battery connector housing156. The battery connector housing 156 may be configured to house atleast one battery connector therein. The battery connector housing 156may define at least one electric connector configured to couple with atleast one electric system of the electric vehicle 100, such as theelectric motor. The battery connector housing 156 may be configured tobe inserted within the aperture 152 of the floor structure 106 such thatat least a portion of the battery connector housing 156 extends above atop surface of the floor structure 106. This allows the electricconnectors to be accessible through a front opening of the rigid tunnel110, enabling the battery element 104 to be electrically coupled to boththe motor and the other electrical systems of the vehicle 100. Batteryassembly 104 may be secured to the underside of the floor structure 106using fasteners accessible from the underside of the floor structure 106such that the battery assembly 104 is removable from the electricvehicle 100 without accessing the passenger compartment 108. Thesefasteners may be spaced apart along the underside of the vehicle 100 atthe floor structure 106, central cross beams 132, a subfloor cross beam144, and/or other structural elements, with a spacing and number offasteners being determined by a weight, size, and/or shape of thebattery element 104.

Rigid tunnel 110 may be coupled with the firewall 112, such as at a rearsurface of the firewall 112. The rigid tunnel 110 may also be coupledwith the floor structure 106 and the central support beams 132. Therigid tunnel 110 may be configured to cover the portion of the batteryconnector housing 156 that extends above the floor structure 106 suchthat the passenger compartment 108 is sealed from the battery connectorhousing 156.

The central cross beams 132 may form a mounting system for the vehicle100. The mounting system may include a front central cross beam 206 thatextends from a right side of a passenger compartment 108 to a left sideof the passenger compartment 108. The mounting system also includes arear central cross beam 208 extending from the right side to the leftside at a positioned rearward of the front central cross beam 206. Anunderside of each of the front central cross beam 206 and the rearcentral cross beam 208 may define a number of mounting features. Eachmounting feature may be configured to received or otherwise engage witha fastener or other securement mechanism to mount the battery assembly104 to an underside of the electric vehicle 100. In some embodiments,the mounting features may spaced apart across lengths of the frontcentral cross beam 206 and the rear central cross beam 208 such that theload of the battery is spread out along a width of the electric vehicle100.

In some embodiments, the front central cross beam 206 and the rearcentral cross beam 208 may be configured to absorb force from a frontalcollision that is transferred to the front central cross beam 206 andthe rear central cross beam 208 via the rigid tunnel 110 that is coupledbetween a firewall of the electric vehicle 100 and the front centralcross beam 206 and the rear central cross beam 208. The beams may alsobe configured to help protect the passenger compartment 108 and batteryassembly 104 from side impacts. To help absorb greater amounts of forcein the event of either a front or side impact, as well as to generallystrengthen the beams, the front central cross beam 206 and the rearcentral cross beam 208 may each define an interior having a number ofribs formed therein. The ribs may extend longitudinally through thefront central cross beam 206 and the rear central cross beam 208. Forexample, multiple vertical ribs 210 may extend between respective topsurfaces and bottom surfaces of the front central cross beam 206 and/orthe rear central cross beam 208. Here, ribs 210 may be positioned atequal intervals within the interior of the beams. In some embodiments,each mounting features is positioned between two of the ribs 210 in acentral portion of the width of the respective cross beam.

In some embodiments, the front central cross beam 206 and/or the rearcentral cross beam 208 may be formed of aluminum or aluminum alloys. Theuse of aluminum, rather than a more rigid material such as steel, notonly reduces the weight of the vehicle 100, but also allows more of theenergy from a collision to be absorbed, such as by designing thealuminum central cross beams 206 and 208 to crumple in an accordion-likemanner. Such crumpling may be achieved by outer walls of the cross beamsbeing chamfered and/or the walls being generally octagonal in shape. Tofacilitate the formation of the ribs 210, the front central cross beam206 and the rear central cross beam 208 may be extruded from aluminumsuch that the ribs 210 are formed along with the outer walls of thecentral cross beams 206 and 208. In some embodiments, connection pointsbetween the ribs 210 and the outer walls of the cross beams 206 and 208may taper outward such that a thickness near the connection point isgreater than a thickness of the rest of the ribs 210. Similarly,junctions of any ribs with one another may also have greater thicknessesthan the rest of the ribs.

The front central cross beam 206 and the rear central cross beam 208 mayalso be configured to support one or more seats of the electric vehicle100. For example, each central cross beam 206 and 208 may include one ormore mounting locations on which a number of seat rails 164 may extendacross and be mounted to the front central cross beam 206 and the rearcentral cross beam 208. For example, the mounting locations may beconfigured to each receive a fastener or other securement mechanism. Inother embodiments, the seat rails 164 may be mounted directly to acollar or sleeve, which may then be secured to a mounting location onthe front central cross beam 206 or rear central cross beam 208. Forexample, the seat rails 164 may be welded and/or otherwise attached to asleeve. The seat rails 164 may be being configured for mounting seatswithin the passenger compartment 108. For example, seats may beslidingly engaged with one or more of the seat rails 164 such that aposition of each seat within the passenger compartment 108 may beadjusted by sliding the seat along a length of its respective seat rails164. In other embodiments, brackets may be provided that mount on thecentral cross beams 132 that are configured to receive rails 164.

FIG. 4 depicts a system for coupling the central cross beams 132 to anouter frame of the vehicle 100. The system may include at least onelongitudinal support beam coupled with a chassis 292 of the electricvehicle 100. For example, a left longitudinal beam 124 may extend alonga left side of the electric vehicle 100. A right longitudinal beam 126may extend along a right side of the vehicle 100. In some embodiments,the longitudinal beams 124 and 126 define a sill of the passengercompartment 108. The longitudinal beams 124 and 126 may be configured toabsorb and transfer force in a manner to protect the battery elements104 and the passenger compartment 108. For example, the right and leftlongitudinal beams 124 and 126 may each be formed of aluminum oraluminum alloys.

The use of aluminum, rather than a more rigid material such as steel,not only reduces the weight of the vehicle 100, but also allows more ofthe energy from a collision to be absorbed, such as by designing thealuminum longitudinal beams 124 and 126 to crumple in an accordion-likemanner. Such crumpling may be achieved by outer walls of the right andleft longitudinal crash beams 124 and 126 being chamfered and/or formedto include one or more indentations designed to encourage the controlledcrumpling in the event of an impact.

To aid in handling larger forces, each of the left longitudinal beam 124and the right longitudinal beam 126 defines an interior comprising aplurality of ribs extending along a length of the right and leftlongitudinal beams 124 and 126. The ribs may extend through the entireinterior to couple multiple walls together, thus providing additionalmaterial and material thickness to absorb and transfer greater forces.For example, the right and left longitudinal beams 124 and 126 may eachinclude one or more vertical ribs extending from a top wall to a bottomwall and/or one or more horizontal rib extending from one side wall toanother side wall of the longitudinal beams 124 and 126. In otherembodiments, ribs may be diagonally oriented. To facilitate theformation of the ribs, the left and the right longitudinal beams 124 and126 may be extruded from aluminum such that the ribs are formed alongwith the outer walls of the longitudinal beams 124 and 126. In someembodiments, connection points between the ribs and the outer walls ofthe longitudinal beams 124 and 126 may taper outward such that athickness near the connection point is greater than a thickness of therest of the ribs. Similarly, any junctions of the ribs with one anothermay also have greater thicknesses than the rest of the ribs.

The connection system may also include the front central cross beam 206and a rear central cross beam 208 that each extend from a right side ofthe passenger compartment 108 to a left side of the passengercompartment 108. In some embodiments, an underside of the front centralcross beam 206 and the rear central cross beam 208 each define a numberof mounting features configured for mounting the battery elements 104 toan underside of the electric vehicle 100. For example, a number offasteners may be inserted into the mounting features to bolt on orotherwise fasten the battery elements 104 to the electric vehicle 100.The front central cross beam 206 and rear central cross beam 208 may beoriented generally orthogonal to the longitudinal support beams 124 and126 and may be configured to extend between the longitudinal supportbeams 124 and 126. To aid in handling larger forces, the front centralcross beam 206 and rear central cross beam 208 may each define aninterior having one or more ribs extending along its respective length.The ribs may extend through the entire interior to couple multiple wallstogether, thus providing additional material and material thickness toabsorb and transfer greater forces. To facilitate the formation of theribs, the front central cross beam 206 and rear central cross beam 208may be extruded from aluminum such that the ribs are formed along withthe outer walls of the cross beams.

The seat mounting system may also include a connector 212 disposedbetween one of the longitudinal support beams 124 and 126 and both thefront central cross beam 206 and the rear central cross beam 208. Theconnector 212 may be configured to couple the longitudinal support beam112 with both the front central cross beam 206 and the rear centralcross beam 208. The connector 212 may include a forward first portion214 configured to receive an end of the front central cross beam 206 anda rearward second portion 216 configured to receive an end of the rearcentral cross beam 208. For example, the first portion 214 and secondportion 216 may define a generally rectangular (or other shapecorresponding to a cross-sectional shape of the front central cross beam206 and rear central cross beam 208) chamber in which the end of therespective cross beam may be inserted and secured. In some embodiments,the first portion 214 and the second portion 216 may each define aflange configured to extend around an entire (or a substantial amount)outer periphery of the end of the respective cross beam. The flange mayhave a length of at least about 1-3 cm, although other lengths may beused. Such a length ensures that a sufficient amount of the frontcentral cross beam 206 or rear central cross beam 208 is secured withinthe first portion 214 or second portion 216, while providing sufficientsurface area through which one or more securement mechanisms, such asfasteners, weld beads, and the like, may be applied.

Connector 212 may also include a third portion 218 that is configured toengage with a medial portion of one of the longitudinal support beams124 or 126. For example, the third portion 218 may include a flange thatis configured to contact a side face of one of the longitudinal supportbeams 124 or 126. The flange may then be fastened or otherwise securedto the side of the longitudinal support beam 124 or 126. The flange maybe sufficiently wide to accommodate any fastening mechanisms used tocouple the connector 212 and longitudinal support beam 124 or 126. Theflange of the third portion 218 may be generally orthogonal to theflanges of the first portion 214 and the second portion 216, allowingthe connector 212 to couple the orthogonally oriented beams. In someembodiments, the flange of the third portion 218 may be expanded to wraparound one or more corners of the longitudinal support beam 124 or 126such that the flange contacts multiple sides of the longitudinal supportbeam 124 or 126. For example, the flange of the third portion 218 mayform a generally u-shaped receptacle that may be positioned around aportion of the longitudinal support beam 124 or 126.

The connector 212 is configured to couple several orthogonally orientedcomponents, with the first portion 214 and the second portion 216 beingconfigured to receive an end of one component in a first direction whilethe third portion 218 is configured to secure a side of a secondcomponent from a second direction opposite the first. A base of theflange of the third portion 218 and a base of each of the generallyrectangular chambers of the first portion 214 and the second portion 216may be the shared and/or aligned in a generally parallel layout. Due tothe complex design of the connector 212, it may be cast or pressed outof aluminum.

In some embodiments, the connector 212 includes an elevated section 220that is configured to raise a height of the connector 212 at a positionabove the front central cross beam 206 to a level higher than at aposition above the rear central cross beam 208. For example, theelevated section 220 may include a protrusion that extends above a mainsurface of the connector 212, with the main surface being planar with,or proximate a height of the flanges of the first portion 214 and thesecond portion 216. In some embodiments, a support fin 160 extendsbetween an upper portion of the elevated section 220 and a main surfaceof the first portion 214. The elevated section 220 may serve to supporta forward mounting for at least one seat rail 164, which may beconfigured for slidably mounting a seat within the passenger compartment108. A rear mounting of the seat rail 164 may be positioned on or nearthe second portion 216 at a position proximate to the rear central crossbeam 208. The seat rail 164 extends across the front central cross beam206 and the rear central cross beam 208 and is mounted such that aforward portion of the one seat rail 164 extends higher than a rearportion of the seat rail 164. This may be done using the elevatedsection 220. Seat rail 164 may be welded, fastened, and/or otherwisesecured to the connector 212. Oftentimes, the seat rail 164 ispositioned to be generally parallel to and laterally spaced apart fromthe longitudinal support beam 124 or 126.

FIG. 5 depicts an alternative embodiment of a rigid tunnel 910. Here,rigid tunnel 910 extends only to a forward most central cross beam 932.The forward most central cross beam 932 has a side profile defined by afront side 934, a rear side 936, a top side 938, and a bottom side 940.In some embodiments, the front side 934 and the rear side 936 may not beparallel. For example, the front side 934 may be angled forward anddownward from the top side 938. A rear end of the rigid tunnel 910 maybe coupled with the top side 938 and/or the front side 934 of theforward most central cross beam 932. The rigid tunnel 910 may include aflange 912 that couples with the top side 938 and/or the front side 934of the forward most central cross beam 932. In some embodiments, theforward most central cross beam 932 may define an interior that includesa plurality of ribs 942. The ribs 942 extend vertically between the topside 938 and the bottom side 940. Here, two ribs are disposed within theinterior such that two rectangular chambers and a trapezoidal chamberare formed. Additional horizontal ribs 944 may be provided within thechambers. For example, each of the chambers may include at least one rib944 that divides the chamber into multiple sections. Ribs 944 provideadditional strength and rigidity to the vertical ribs 942. The use ofribs 942 and 944 help stiffen and strengthen the forward most centralcross beam 932 without adding a substantial amount of material orweight, thereby allowing the forward most central cross beam 932 tohandle larger impact forces in the event of a collision.

The rearmost central cross beam 946 may have a profile defined by afront side 948, a first top side 950, an intermediate wall 952, a secondtop side 954, a rear side 956, and a bottom side 958. The profile may beshaped such that a forward portion of the rearmost central cross beam946 is larger than a rear portion of the rearmost central cross beam946. In some embodiments, one or both of the first top side 950 and thesecond top side 954 may be sloped downward from front to back. Thesloped surface may be configured to receive one or more brackets onwhich seats and/or seat rails may be mounted. In some embodiments, thesides of the rearmost central cross beam 946 define an open interior. Aplurality of ribs 960 may extend within the open interior. The ribs 960extend vertically between the second top side 954 and the bottom side958. Here, two ribs are disposed within the interior, with a forward ribbeing in line with the intermediate wall 952. An additional horizontalrib 962 may be provided within the interior. For example, a horizontalrib 962 may extend into a forward portion of the rearmost central crossbeam 946 in line with the second top side 954. The use of ribs 960 and962 help stiffen and strengthen the rearmost central cross beam 946without adding a substantial amount of material or weight, therebyallowing the rearmost central cross beam 946 to handle larger impactforces in the event of a collision.

FIG. 6 shows one embodiment of brackets being mounted to the forwardmost central cross beam 932 and the rearmost central cross beam 946.Front brackets 964 are configured to mount to the forward most crossbeam 932. For example, both the driver side and the passenger side ofthe passenger compartment 108 may include two or more front brackets964. Front brackets 964 may have a top mounting surface 966 that isconfigured to receive a seat rail or other seat mount at a positionelevated above a top surface of the forward most central cross beam 932.For example, each front bracket 964 may have a forward coupling and arear coupling for mounting the front bracket 964 on the forward mostcross beam 932. The forward coupling may be configured to be secured tothe front side 934 of the forward most cross beam 932, such as by usingfasteners, adhesives, welding, and/or other known securement techniques.In some embodiments, the forward coupling may include a flange that isdesigned to sit flush against the angled front side 934 as seen in FIG.5. Fasteners and/or other fastening mechanisms may be used to securethis flange to the front side 934. The rear coupling may be configuredto be secured with the top side 938 of the forward most central crossbeam 932. For example, the rear coupling may include a flange that isconfigured to sit flush against and be secured to the top side 938. Thetop mounting surface 966 may extend upward and or forward from the rearcoupling and include a threaded hole for receiving a bolt or otherfastener for securing a seat rail to the front bracket 964. This allowsthe seat rails or other seat mounting to be positioned at a heightgreater than the top side 938 of the forward most central cross beam 932such that the seat rails may be sloped from front to back for easieradjustment of the seat.

Rear brackets 968 may have a rear portion 970 that is configured to siton the second top side 954 of the rearmost central cross beam 946. Insome embodiments, the rear portion 970 may have a thickness such that atop surface of the rear portion 970 is generally at the same height asthe first top side 950. The rear portion 970 may define a threaded holethat is configured to receive a bolt or other fastener for securing aseat rail to the rear bracket 968. Oftentimes, the top surface of therear portion 970 is positioned at a lower height than the top mountingsurface 966 of the front bracket 964 such that a seat rail extendingbetween the front bracket 964 and the rear bracket 968 slopes slightlydownward from front to back. In some embodiments, the rear brackets 968may each include a front portion 972, such as a flange that extends ontothe first top side 950. This flange may be secured to the first top side950, such as by using fasteners, adhesives, welding, and/or othersecurement mechanisms to provide greater support for the rear bracket968 and/or seat rails.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart depicting a process 700 for mounting a seat railof an electric vehicle. Process 700 may be performed using the electricvehicle 100 described herein. Process 700 may begin at block 702 bypositioning a front cross beam at a base of a passenger compartment ofan electric vehicle such that the front cross beam extends from a leftside of the passenger compartment to a right side of a passengercompartment. The front cross beam may be configured to provide structureto the passenger compartment of the electric vehicle and may define anumber of mounting locations with which a battery assembly may bemounted to an underside of the vehicle. At block 704, a rear cross beammay be positioned at the base such that the rear cross beam extends fromthe left side to the right side. At block 706, an end of the front crossmember may be secured within a first portion of a connector and an endof the rear cross member may be secured within a second portion of theconnector. For example, each of the first portion and the second portionmay define a flange configured to extend around an entire outerperiphery of the end of the respective cross beam. The flange may form achamber having an inner profile corresponding an outer profile of therespective cross beam such that the end of the cross beam may beinserted within the chamber. In some embodiments, securing the firstportion and the second portion may involve fastening the flanges to theouter periphery of the end of the cross beams. A medial portion of alongitudinal support beam may be positioned against a third portion ofthe connector at block 708. The longitudinal support beam may extendalong a side of the vehicle, and in some embodiments, may form a sill ofthe passenger compartment.

At block 710, the third portion of the connector may be secured to themedial portion of the longitudinal support beam. For example, the thirdportion may define a flange that is orthogonal to the flanges of thefirst portion and second portion. The flange of the third portion may beconfigured to extend around all or part of a side wall of thelongitudinal support beam and in some embodiments may extend around atleast a portion of one or both of a top wall or a bottom wall of thelongitudinal support beam, thus forming a generally u-shaped receptacle.In some embodiments, securing the third portion may involve fasteningthe flange to one or more of the side wall, the top wall, or the bottomwall of the longitudinal support beam. A seat rail may be secured to atop of the connector at block 712 such that a forward portion of theseat rail extends higher than a rear portion of the seat rail. Forexample, the connector may include a forward section positionedproximate the front cross beam and a rear section positioned proximatethe rear cross beam. The forward section may include an elevated portionon which the forward portion of the seat rail is mounted such that theseat rail slopes downward from forward to back. Once the seat rail issecured, a mating feature of a seat may be slidingly engaged with theseat rail.

In some embodiments, process 700 may also include positioning a batteryassembly against an underside of the electric vehicle. A number offasteners may then be inserted through the battery assembly and engagedwith a number of mounting features defined within the front cross beamand rear cross beam to secure the battery assembly against the undersideof the electric vehicle.

It should be noted that the systems and devices discussed above areintended merely to be examples. It must be stressed that variousembodiments may omit, substitute, or add various procedures orcomponents as appropriate. Also, features described with respect tocertain embodiments may be combined in various other embodiments.Different aspects and elements of the embodiments may be combined in asimilar manner. Also, it should be emphasized that technology evolvesand, thus, many of the elements are examples and should not beinterpreted to limit the scope of the invention.

Specific details are given in the description to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by oneof ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practicedwithout these specific details. For example, well-known structures andtechniques have been shown without unnecessary detail in order to avoidobscuring the embodiments. This description provides example embodimentsonly, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, orconfiguration of the invention. Rather, the preceding description of theembodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enablingdescription for implementing embodiments of the invention. Variouschanges may be made in the function and arrangement of elements withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described several embodiments, it will be recognized by those ofskill in the art that various modifications, alternative constructions,and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of theinvention. For example, the above elements may merely be a component ofa larger system, wherein other rules may take precedence over orotherwise modify the application of the invention. Also, a number ofsteps may be undertaken before, during, or after the above elements areconsidered. Accordingly, the above description should not be taken aslimiting the scope of the invention.

Also, the words “comprise”, “comprising”, “contains”, “containing”,“include”, “including”, and “includes”, when used in this specificationand in the following claims, are intended to specify the presence ofstated features, integers, components, or steps, but they do notpreclude the presence or addition of one or more other features,integers, components, steps, acts, or groups.

What is claimed is:
 1. A seat mounting system for an electric vehicle,comprising: a longitudinal support beam coupled with a chassis of theelectric vehicle; a front cross beam extending from a right side of apassenger compartment of the electric vehicle to a left side of thepassenger compartment; a rear cross beam extending from the right sideto the left side; and a connector disposed between the longitudinalsupport beam and both the front cross beam and the rear cross beam, theconnector being configured to couple the longitudinal support beam withboth the front cross beam and the rear cross beam; at least one seatrail mounted to the connector, the at least one seat rail extendingacross the front cross beam and the rear cross beam, the at least oneseat rail being mounted to the connector such that a forward portion ofthe at least one seat rail extends higher than a rear portion of the atleast one seat rail, the at least one seat rail being configured formounting a seat within the passenger compartment.
 2. The seat mountingsystem for an electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein: the at least oneseat rail is generally parallel to and laterally spaced apart from thelongitudinal support beam.
 3. The seat mounting system for an electricvehicle of claim 1, wherein: the connector comprises a forward sectionpositioned proximate the front cross beam and a rear section positionedproximate the rear cross beam; and the forward section comprises anelevated portion configured to raise the forward portion of the at leastone seat rail.
 4. The seat mounting system for an electric vehicle ofclaim 3, wherein: the forward portion further comprises a support finextending between an upper portion of the elevated section and a lowersurface of the forward portion.
 5. The seat mounting system for anelectric vehicle of claim 1, wherein: one or more of the front crossbeam, the rear cross beam, and the longitudinal support beam compriseextruded aluminum; and the connector comprises cast aluminum.
 6. Theseat mounting system for an electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein: the atleast one seat rail is configured to slidingly engage with acorresponding feature on the seat.
 7. The seat mounting system for anelectric vehicle of claim 1, wherein: the connector defines a flangeconfigured to contact a portion of a side wall of the longitudinalsupport beam; and the flange has a width of between about 1-3 cm.
 8. Aseat mounting system for an electric vehicle, comprising: a longitudinalsupport beam coupled with a chassis of the electric vehicle; a frontcross beam extending from a right side of a passenger compartment of theelectric vehicle to a left side of the passenger compartment; a rearcross beam extending from the right side to the left side; and aconnector disposed between the longitudinal support beam and both thefront cross beam and the rear cross beam, the connector being configuredto couple the longitudinal support beam with both the front cross beamand the rear cross beam, the connector comprising: a first portionconfigured to receive an end of the front cross beam; a second portionconfigured to receive an end of the rear cross beam; and a third portionconfigured to engage with a medial portion of the longitudinal supportbeam, wherein the third portion comprises an elevated section configuredto raise a height of the connector at a position above the front crossbeam to a level higher than at a position above the rear cross beam; andat least one seat rail extending across the front cross beam and therear cross beam, the at least one seat rail being mounted to the firstportion and to the elevated section of the third portion of theconnector such that a forward portion of the at least one seat railpositioned above the front cross beam extends higher than a rear portionof the at least one seat rail positioned above the rear cross beam, theat least one seat rail being configured for mounting a seat within thepassenger compartment.
 9. The seat mounting system for an electricvehicle of claim 8, wherein: one or more of the front cross beam, therear cross beam, and the longitudinal support beam comprise extrudedaluminum; and the connector comprises cast aluminum.
 10. The seatmounting system for an electric vehicle of claim 8, wherein: the thirdportion further comprises a support fin extending between an outer edgeof the third portion and an upper portion of the elevated section. 11.The seat mounting system for an electric vehicle of claim 8, wherein:the first portion defines a first flange configured to extend around anentire outer periphery of the end of the front cross beam; and thesecond portion defines a second flange configured to extend around anentire outer periphery of the end of the rear cross beam.
 12. The seatmounting system for an electric vehicle of claim 8, wherein: the thirdportion defines a flange configured to contact a portion of a side wallof the longitudinal support beam.
 13. The seat mounting system for anelectric vehicle of claim 8, wherein: the at least one seat rail ismounted to the connector using a plurality of fasteners.
 14. The seatmounting system for an electric vehicle of claim 11, wherein: anunderside of each of the front cross beam and the rear cross beamdefines a plurality of mounting features configured for mounting abattery assembly to an underside of the electric vehicle.
 15. A methodfor mounting a seat rail of an electric vehicle, the method comprising:positioning a front cross beam at a base of a passenger compartment ofan electric vehicle such that the front cross beam extends from a leftside of the passenger compartment to a right side of a passengercompartment; positioning a rear cross beam at the base such that therear cross beam extends from the left side to the right side; securingan end of the front cross member within a first portion of a connectorand an end of the rear cross member within a second portion of theconnector; positioning a medial portion of a longitudinal support beamagainst a third portion of the connector; securing the third portion ofthe connector to the medial portion of the longitudinal support beam;and securing a seat rail to a top of the connector such that a forwardportion of the seat rail extends higher than a rear portion of the seatrail.
 16. The method for mounting a seat rail of an electric vehicle ofclaim 15, wherein: the connector comprises a forward section positionedproximate the front cross beam and a rear section positioned proximatethe rear cross beam; and the forward section comprises an elevatedportion configured to raise the forward portion of the seat rail. 17.The method for mounting a seat rail of an electric vehicle of claim 15,wherein: the first portion defines a first flange configured to extendaround an entire outer periphery of the end of the front cross beam; thesecond portion defines a second flange configured to extend around anentire outer periphery of the end of the rear cross beam; and the thirdportion defines a flange configured to contact a portion of a side wallof the longitudinal support beam.
 18. The method for mounting a seatrail of an electric vehicle of claim 15, wherein: securing the thirdportion comprises fastening the third flange to the side wall of thelongitudinal support beam.
 19. The method for mounting a seat rail of anelectric vehicle of claim 15, further comprising: slidingly engaging aseat with the seat rail.
 20. The method for mounting a seat rail of anelectric vehicle of claim 15, further comprising: positioning a batteryassembly against an underside of the electric vehicle; and securing aplurality of fasteners with a plurality of mounting features defined inan underside of one or both of the front cross beam and the rear crossbeam to secure the battery assembly against the underside of theelectric vehicle.